Improvement in rotary steam-engines



C- W.'FLOECKHER.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE. No.171,556. Patented rm. 28.1875.

N. PETERS. FFOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASH NGYON D c UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

CHARLES W. FLOECKHER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,556, dated December 28, 1875; application filed November 30, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WILLIAM FLOECKHER, of the city of Washington, in

the District of Columbia, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Rotary Steam-Engines, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved rotary steam-engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical central cross-section. Fig. 3 is a top view of the reversing-valve.

My invention relates to rotary steam-engines.

The nature of my invention consists of a solid drum with twoV-shaped abutments diametrically opposite each other, against which the steam impinges, and which also serve to lifta gate'block, which slides in the steamchest diametrically opposite the exhaust, and is provided with two steam-ports-one to the right and one to the left-and with a movable valve-plate, far the purpose of alternately opening and closing the said steam ports, whereby the drum is caused to revolve either to the right or to the left.

The object of my invention is to make a cheap and durable rotary steam-engine of very simple construction.

v A in Figs. 1, 2, denotes the cylinder of my improved steam-engine. B is the revolving drum, which is inclosed by and revolves in the said cylinder. It is provided with two V- shaped abutments, O' O, diametrically opposite each other, which bear against the cylindrical part of the said cylinder. D is the gateblock, which slides in the steam-chest F, and is forced against the drum B by the pressure ure of the steam. The said gate-block is provided with two steam-ports, d d, which open at the top of the gate-block D, and at its sides near the foot in opposite directions,-so that, when the gate-block is lifted by the abutments O, the said sideward openings are closed by the walls of the steam-chest F. A plate, E,

fitted to the top of the gate-block D, and provided with a center-shaft, H, and handwheel H, and with a port-hole, 6, serves as a stop-valve by closing both ports at d, or as a reverse-valve by admitting steam through its port-hole 0, either into the port (1 or d. The movement of the plate E may be regulated by reducing the diameter of one-half of its circumference, and by a banking-pin, e, in the gate-block D, by which the progress of the larger half is arrested. trally or diametrically opposite the gate-block D, which permits the engine to run with the same ease when reversed. The lateral packing is efi'ected by a plate, K, and the adjusting-screws k in the lid L.

When the machine is to revolve to the right the plate E is turned until its port-hole e is above the steam-port d. The steam drives the one abutment, G, around toward the exhaust I. Before the exhaust is cleared by the said abutment, the opposite abutment G lifts the gateblock D, and thereby closes the steam-port d. The abutment (J is carried over the exhaust by the impulse of a fly-wheel, or of the machinery driven. The gate-block D is released by the other abutment, G, and the steam pushes it toward the exhaust.

When steam is admitted through the port at the described operation of the engine takes place on the other side of cylinder and the revolutions are reversed.

I claim as my invention-- The sliding abutment I), having two steamports, (I d, and an auxiliary reversing-valve, E, arranged on its upper face, in combination with the drum B and its abutments O 0 and the exterior cylinder A and steam-chest F, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. 7

CHAS. WM. FLOEGKHER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. MAsoN, FRANK T. GALT.

The exhaust I is cen- 

